SOLDIER
book one
It's been 97 years since a nuclear explosion radiated life on Earth and life support on The Ark is now failing. In a desperate attempt to grant the citizens of the SpaceCraft more time, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent down to the...
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THE weight of the lifeless head resting on Vivienne's boots felt heavy. Despite her trembling legs, she summoned the strength to stand, carefully lowering the boy's head to the floor and it rested with a quiet thud. His head seeped blood onto the floor around and soaked his once-vibrant brown hair as his eyes stared blankly into Vivienne, robbed of life.
Finn Collins, the same boy who had wasted a month's supply of oxygen back on The Ark, hurried to Vivienne's side and knelt beside her, his gaze somber as he assessed the boy at her feet. With a steady hand, he pressed his fingers to the deceased boy's neck, searching for any faint sign of life.
"Is he breathing? Finn! Is he breathing?" Clarke's desperate voice called from where she knelt by another body. But Finn din't need to answer; it was obvious the boy lay lifeless, robbed of any chance to set foot on Earth. An unsettling shiver ran down Vivienne's spine whilst Finn remained focused on the body, his gaze drifting to the blood staining the toes of Vivienne's boots and a wave of guilt washed over him.
"The outer door is on the lower level!"
As panic drove Clarke to descend the ladder and join the others on the lower level, Finn and Wells quickly followed suit. Yet Vivienne stayed, kneeling beside the limp body as her fingers delicately traced the smooth, cold skin of the boy's eyelids. With a gentle touch, she closed them, offering him eternal rest.
With a heavy heart and a lingering sorrow, Vivienne tore her gaze away from the fallen bodies and began her descent down the ladder, joining the remaining 97 teenagers below. She clambered down a couple steps before stopping,her palms sweaty as she clung tightly to the ladder, seeking a clear view over the heads of the tightly packed crowd.
At the front of the ship was a large metal door and, stood imposingly before it, was an older boy clad in an ill-fitting guard's uniform which made him stand out among the delinquents. He was considerably larger than most of the other boys aboard the ship and his hair was slicked in an excess amount of gel. Below the guard, held tightly in his arms, was a younger girl and her face was buried in his solid chest while his rested in her long hair, breathing in her scent.
"That's Octavia Blake. The girl they found hidden under the floor," a voice in the crowd announced, sparking a wave of murmurs.
According to the Gaia Doctrine, written long before Vivienne's time, harsh population control measures were in place on The Ark. Among these, the law stated that no individual could have more than one child. The laws were strict, none more so than this, and breaking them was unthinkable. Yet, Octavia Blake was a living testament, infamous on The Ark for the simple crime of being born.
The youngest Blake sibling attempted to lunge at those who whispered loudly about her, but her older brother held her back with his arm wrapped defensively around her waist. "Let's give them something else to remember you by," he said, his grip unyielding.
"Yeah, like what?" Octavia asked through gritted teeth.
"Like being the first person on The Ground in a hundred years."
Bellamy released his sister and wrapped his large, tanned hand around the lever to his right. With a slow pull, he eased it down, the rusty door clicking and creaking as it craned open.
This was what Vivienne had dreamed of. During the chaos of the rough landing and the two losses the group had already suffered, she had partially forgotten why they were there in the first place. But now, as it unfolded before her, she wasn't entirely sure she was ready.
An overwhelming and sudden gust of fresh air engulfed the drop-ship, filling it with the scent of damp, earthy mud. Vivienne took a deep breath, inhaling the purest air she'd ever felt until her lungs were pressed uncomfortably against her ribs.
Gradually, Octavia made her way down the metal ramp created by the ship's door, while Bellamy forced everyone else to wait inside. Vivienne watched eagerly as the young girl took her time.
Earth appeared vibrant and green, with trees stretching far beyond Vivienne's sight, their branches reaching high above the drop-ship. They cast shadows over the sunlit grass, while birds chirped endearingly in the breeze, like wind chimes on a gentle day.
Earth seemed fully recovered, and Vivienne longed for her mother to be there with her.
Finally, Octavia's boots hit the dirt ground with a quiet thud, and she inhaled deeply and slowly.
